Continuous appointment calendar

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for scheduling events, such as appointments, so that the appointments for a given predetermined period of time are readily available. Information, such as an appointment, is placed on a continuous roll of lined paper which passes under a frame member that divides the paper into a plurality of columns. Within each column the appointments of a particular day are recorded. Positioned on a back panel above each column are a group of dated information receiving members of corresponding days and successive weeks.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Robert C. Grier, Jr.

108 W. Seven Oaks Drive, Greenville, SC. 29605 [21] Appl. No. 12,768 [22] Filed Feb. 19, 1970 [45] Patented Jan. 11, 1972 [5 4] CONTINUOUS APPOINTMENT CALENDAR 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 40/82, 40/116, 35/24 [51] Int. Cl G091 11/29 [50] Field of Search 40/82-85, 107, 116, 117; 281/2, 613

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,356,646 8/1944 Branson 281/6 2,615,730 10/1952 Lathrop 281/6 2,483,522 10/1949 281/6 207,675 9/1878 Peck 40/116 X 1,680,164 8/1928 Montrose 40/85 Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-J. H. Wolff AttorneyBailey and Dority ABSTRACT: An apparatus for scheduling events, such as appointments, so that the appointments for a given predetermined period of time are readily available. Information, such as an appointment, is placed on a continuous roll of lined paper which passes under a frame member that divides the paper into a plurality of columns. Within each column the appointments of a particular day are recorded. Positioned on a back panel above each column are a group of dated information receiving members of corresponding days and successive weeks.

PATENTED JAN] 1 I972 yncs- ROBERT CGRIERHJR.

ATTORNE Y5.

CONTINUOUS APPOINTMENT CALENDAR This invention relates to a continuous appointment calendar, and more particularly to an apparatus wherein dated information receiving members are grouped according to predetermined reoccurring periods, such as particular days of a week, and the information recorded on such receiving members can be readily ascertained therefrom and transferred to a related portion of the continuous calendar.

Heretofore, appointment schedules and calendars have generally been kept in looseleaf or bound-leaf books. Generally, the daily log of appointments are carried on a particular page and the corresponding day of the succeeding week would be seven pages further in the book or three and one-half pages, depending on the type book being used. Not only do these type of appointment books have very little flexibility from the standpoint of expansion, but they have a considerable amount of awkwardness and bulkiness in their usage. They also, allow only the date to which the book is opened to be interpreted and used and, as a consequence, the correlation of times and the possibilities of mistakes are complicated and frequent.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for scheduling events wherein the events scheduled for a particular period of time is readily accessible and visible.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for scheduling appointments wherein reoccurring appointments can be readily scheduled.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an appointment table wherein the appointments for a particular given period of time are carried on a continuous sheet having an extended portion which represents the appointments for a given number of days and the like.

The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an apparatus for scheduling events, and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a plurality of dated information receiving members grouped according to predetermined reoccurring periods of time, such as the same day of successive weeks.

The drawing illustrates an apparatus for scheduling events, such as appointments, so that appointments for a predetermined span of time are readily available and reoccurring appointments can be conveniently scheduled. The apparatus includes a flat supporting and working surface A having a roll of paper B carried adjacent one end of the supporting and working surface A. The roll of paper has a portion extended across the working surface upon which the appointments for a particular span of time are recorded. The roll of paper B has a plurality of longitudinal parallel lines thereon which divide the paper into a plurality of rows corresponding to predetermined segments of time, such as parts of an hour, within a period of time, such as a day. A frame member C is carried on top of the extended portion of the paper. The frame member C includes a plurality of vertical members which define a plurality of columns D on the extended portion of the paper. Each of the columns D represents a period of time, such as a day, and the rows in the column correspond to a segment of time, such as a portion of an hour. The frame member C is carried on the extended portion of the paper and allows the paper to be drawn off the roll B across the supporting and working surface A shifting the appointments carried in a column from between a pair of vertical members to between an adjacent pair of vertical members. Information receiving members E are positioned above the flat supporting surface and each has rows corresponding to the rows within the columns carried on the extended portion of the sheet. The dated information receiving members are grouped according to predetermined reoccurring periods of time, such as particular days within weeks, so

that information can be readily ascertained therefrom and transferred to a related portion of the extended paper.

The working surface A is generally in the form of a table having downwardly extending supporting members 10 and 1] which are joined by a vertical upwardly extending back portion 12. The working surface A can be constructed of any suitable material, such as wood, and has one end connected by a hinge 13 to the supporting leg 10. The other end of the working surface A rests on top of the leg supporting member II.

The roll of paper B is carried within a housing 14 adjacent one end of the supporting table. The paper is allowed to extend through a slot 15 so that it can be drawn across the supporting table.

The paper has a plurality of elongated parallel lines 16 which divide the paper into a plurality of rows, each of which represent a particular segment of time. Depending on the usage of the appointment table, this segment of time may represent, for example, l5 minutes as illustrated on the information receiving members E.

A frame member C is carried on top of the extended portion of the roll of paper and has a plurality of spaced parallel vertical members 17 which define ports. These ports, in turn, define the columns D on the extended portion of the roll of paper B. Each of these columns represents a particular predetermined period of time, for example, a day. The frame member C may be constructed of any suitable material, such as Plexiglas and has elongated flat top and bottom portions 18 and 19, respectively, which are integral with the vertical members 17. In some embodiments the frame member C is connected by a hinge adjacent the top portion 18 so that it can be raised and notes written on the paper underneath the vertical members I7. The weight of the frame member C is sufficient to hold the extended paper down to allow writing thereon, and prevent the paper from being blown by the wind when used outside. lndicia 20 is carried on the top portion for identifying a particular period of time represented in the column D. This indicia may be placed on removable tapes 21 which have an adhesive backing so that they can be shifted along the top portion 18. lndicia 22 is also printed on the vertical members 17 for identifying the segment of time represented by a particular roll on the paper B. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the indicia carried on the vertical members corresponds with the indicia extending down the left side of the information receiving members E, and also identified by the reference character 22.

The appointments for a particular day are recorded on the extended portion of the sheet within a particular column.

As can be seen, the column on the right represents the present day, while the successive columns to the left represents succeeding days. At the end of the day the paper is merely pulled beneath the frame member C to the right and the information which was previously positioned in the righthand column may be torn off, or folded back under the flat working surface A and attached thereto by any suitable means, such as clamps. In order to accomplish this as previously mentioned, the left-hand portion of the flat working surface may be hinged as by hinge 13.

In many businesses and professions there is frequently a definite predictable repetition in scheduling of appointments for certain patients. For example, it may be customary in a doctors office to require the majority of his patients to come back in 1 week, 2 weeks, or even 8 weeks. Heretofore, when such appointments were recorded in bound-leaf books it was cumbersome to locate the particular day to enter such information. In order to eliminate such a problem, the subject invention contemplates grouping information receiving members E according to predetermined reoccurring periods of time. For example, it is noted that the information receiving members E are grouped according to a particular day of a week. The stack of information receiving members E positioned on the right-hand end of the back portion 12 includes the appointments for Monday of 8 succeeding weeks. Sandwiched between each of these information receiving members E is an index card 23 which has a tab 24 thereon, upon which indicia is placed to identify the particular week. These stacks of information receiving members are carried on any suitable means, such as a rod 24 which is positioned within a supporting hole in the back portion 12. This enables the stacks of information receiving members to be shifted to the right as the appointments on the extended portion of the roll of paper are also shifted to the right.

Normally, the flat working surface A is so designed that the appointments for 1 week and a day can be recorded within the columns D on the flat working surface. Since such information is readily visible to the operator, such allows the operator to look through many days in order to determine times available for scheduling appointments, as well as to anticipate forthcoming problems. This makes mistakes or unknown occurrences rare or difficult to be overlooked if proper identification is made at the time of the original entry into the continuous calendar. The entire calendar reaches back approximately weeks. As previously mentioned, this is accomplished by grouping the information receiving members E according to the corresponding days positioned therebelow on the working surface A. For example, if it is desired to schedule a patient for 4 weeks from today, the operator would merely reach up to the stack of information receiving members E positioned above the column identified as today, and manipulate the information receiving members by the tabs 24 so that the information can be recorded on the desired member.

At the beginning of each day after the roll has been pulled to shift the appointments from one column to the next column to the right the information or appointments carried on the information receiving members E is then transferred down to the blank column on the left of the working surface A. In other words, as the information receiving members E come in positioned for the continuous roll or calendar, the information is added to the fiat portion of the continuous calendar several days ahead of the final entry into the current daily log which is the column on the right. These same information receiving members E then follow the extended portion of the sheet as the sheet is advanced day by day to the right.

indicia carried on the vertical member 17 does not necessarily have to be equally spaced since it may be desired to place more appointments in one particular hour over that of another. This, of course, would be controlled by the particular business for which the continuous calendar is being used.

It is also contemplated for certain particular businesses that it may be desirable to have means for expanding the continuous roll so that more appointments can be recorded within a column. One method of accomplishing this is through the use of a secondary leaf, not shown, which sticks by adhesive to the master roll B and is of such a size that it follows the predetermined date of a column and opens within the column in a While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for scheduling events such as appointments so that the appointments for a predetermined span of time are readily available and reoccurring appointments can be conveniently scheduled comprising: a flat supporting and working surface, a roll of paper carried adjacent one end of said supporting and working surface and having a portion extending across the top of said surface, said roll of paper having a plurality of longitudinal parallel lines thereon dividing said paper into segments corresponding to predetermined segments of time within a period of time, a frame member mounted on said working surface so as to overlay said extended portion of said paper, said frame member including a plurality of spaced members defining a plurality of columns on said extended portion of said paper, each of said columns representing a period of time and said parallel lines on said paper corresponding to segments of time within said period of time, said frame member being mounted over said working surface so as to permit said paper to be drawn off said roll across said supporting and working surface shifting said appointments from between a pair of members to between adjacent pairs of members, a plurality of dated information receiving members mounted adjacent said columns with each of said members having parallel lines thereon corresponding to said parallel lines carried on said extended portion of said sheet, and said dated information receiving members being grouped according to predetermined reoccurring periods of time corresponding to each of said plurality of columns so that information can be readily ascertained from said information receiving members and transferred to a related portion of said extended paper.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising: a housing carried adjacent one end of said supporting and working surface for accommodating said roll of paper, and said housing having a slot therein for allowing said paper to pass therethrough onto said supporting surface so that appointments can be recorded on said paper.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein indicia is carried on said members defining a plurality of columns for identifying the time of each appointment recorded on said rows within said column. 

1. An apparatus for scheduling events such as appointments so that the appointments for a predetermined span of time are readily available and reoccurring appointments can be conveniently scheduled comprising: a flat supporting and working surface, a roll of paper carried adjacent one end of said supporting and working surface and having a portion extending across the top of said surface, said roll of paper having a plurality of longitudinal parallel lines thereon dividing said paper into segments corresponding to predetermined segments of time within a period of time, a frame member mounted on said working surface so as to overlay said extended portion of said paper, said frame member including a plurality of spaced members defining a plurality of columns on said extended portion of said paper, each of said columns representing a period of time and said parallel lines on said paper corresponding to segments of time within said period of time, said frame member being mounted over said working surface so as to permit said paper to be drawn off said roll across said supporting and working surface shifting said appointments from between a pair of members to between adjacent pairs of members, a plurality of dated information receiving members mounted adjacent said columns with each of said members having parallel lines thereon corresponding to said parallel lines carried on said extended portion of said sheet, and said dated information receiving members being grouped according to predetermined reoccurring periods of time corresponding to each of said plurality of columns so that information can be readily ascertained from said information receiving members and transferred to a related portion of said extended paper.
 2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising: a housing carried adjacent one end of said supporting and working surface for accommodating said roll of paper, and said housing having a slot therein for allowing said paper to pass therethrough onto said supporting surface so that appointments can be recorded on said paper.
 3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein indicia is carried on said members defining a plurality of columns for identifying the time of each appointment recorded on said rows within said column. 